I need a break from bullying this Sunday so I am doing my gratitude post today and sharing a few of my favorite things starting with some wonderful local fruits.  I know when you hear I live in Hawaii, you think of pineapple, bananas, papayas and maybe mangoes and I love these too.  However, I also love the more exotic fruits like the dragon fruit in this picture.  It has a mild taste although the red one which is not pictured is sweeter.  The ones pictured are white and pink.  This fruit is not native to Hawaii, but it is grown on the island of Hawaii as is another little known fruit, rambutan that I also love.  Rambutan is similar to lychee, also a locally grown fruit.  The rambutan is bigger and the outer skin is different, but the taste is similar.  I like to eat both chilled. Both rambutan and dragon fruit are high in vitamin C too.

Now that you know my favorite fruits, I want to share my favorite social media. Facebook helps me stay in touch with family and friends that live far away and it allows me to have a fan page and LinkedIn allows me to connect with other professionals, but Twitter and my blog have always been my two favorites.  My blog allows me to write articles to share with you and to interact on a more personal level through comments and Twitter has taught me how to get to the point in the fewest characters possible and given me quick access to a larger network.  Recently I have fallen in love with Klout.  It is an easy way to show others how they have helped you and to show your appreciation by giving them a K+.  It is an excellent accompaniment to Twitter, but it can also be used with Facebook or Google+, and you can link to other networks too including blogs and LinkedIn.  You should take a look at it if you have not done so already.

Those who have read my posts for a while know I love nature.  I have always been happiest when I am outdoors.  I love seeing local birds and hearing them sing and I love looking at the flowering trees, bushes, and plants.  I also love seeing all the colors of the flowers along with the wonderful smells they have.   I especially love the smell of the mock orange bush when it is flowering.  Sharing walks with my two four-legged friends is a joy  and I hope I can do this again soon.  My dogs do not do well when I use my walking poles and I do not do well on long walks without them right now.

I also love writing, reading, listening to music, and anything that inspires and/ or brings joyous laughter.  Of course, my most favorite thing is spending time with my family and friends, whether it is as simple as a phone call or sitting down to a meal and good conversation.  Spending time with the ones we love is priceless.